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August 31st

The bible reading is in Ezekiel 16,17.

“Again the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations,”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭16:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Here, in the longest chapter in Ezekiel, in prophetic poetry, the prophet describes in detail the loathsome character of Israel’s sin.

God wants Israel to see in the clearest way possible the reason He abhors and hates Israel’s sin so much. Although there are many metaphors in our reading today, not everything in this chapter is simple symbolism. With so much idolatry practiced by God’s chosen, just knowing a little background of the idolatrous neighboring nations’ that had influenced Israel, it’s obvious that rampant adulteries, rapes, sodomies, fornications, prostitutions, and women and children murders took place all over Israel in the name of a worshipped god in that day.

God used Ezekiel to draw back the curtain on the sin of the children of promise. God did not hate his wayward kids...but He hated their sin and He wanted them to hate it too...enough to repent snd come back to Him.

Sadly, some young preachers become intimidated by church members who don't want their pastor to preach against their sins. And so the pastor skips over those verses in his preaching. Oh friends, may we be quick to encourage our preachers to preach every word in the bible, even the ones that point at us. We need every word of God to teach us, reach us, and change us into the disciples that God can use for His glory and the salvation of others.

Moving on in the text...“Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭17:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God would have the prophet to speak a saying that would encourage thinking that would have the hearers put pieces of a puzzle together to come to an understanding of God’s message. God would give the prophet a parable (a story) to speak illustrating an important spiritual truth.

“Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭17:3-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God told Israel, through Jeremiah and Ezekiel, things that probably caused quizzical looks and wondering conversations among the exiles...about two eagles and a vine...King of Babylon and Pharoah of Egypt (the two eagles) and Lebanon/Israel (the vine).

We read about God using the Babylonian king to replant many Israelites in Babylon.

Question: Did the exiles grow spiritually in Babylon?...the parable seems to say so...” the vine took root and spread over the land of Babylon, spreading forth branches that would produce fruit...fruit of God’s Spirit demonstrated in good works and the conversion of Chaldeans to Yahweh and His love and salvation.

Question: With the prophet Jeremiah telling the Judeans to submit to Babylon and trust that God was going to bless His people in captivity...Why did Judah lift its branches to the second eagle, Egypt?

Judah’s leaders were so out of fellowship with God that they just couldn't wait on the Lord’s promise, they had to do their own thing and disobey God’s command not to make alliances with Egypt. Sadly, Judah’s trust in Egypt only took the remnant away from the blessing of God...not toward it.

Oh fellow followers of Jesus, may we not be surprised when the Holy Spirit reveals our own abominable life of sin. Yes, it’s painful. But it will lead us to humble repentance and faith back toward our Savior God.

And when God takes us out of our comfort zone, maybe into a Babylon experience...let us seek Him and wait upon Him...He is still at work for His glory!

Have a great day.